What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Ptrs #201402030
NTSB #anc 14 l a 034
While cruising at 1500' MSL the aircraft engine began to run rough, lose power, and subsequently quit. Prior to complete engine failure roughness was described as the engine reving up and down, sputtering, and cutting in and out.
Emergency landing was made along a lake shore.
Aircraft flipped over on landing and was partially submerged.
Minor injuries initially reported, including the pilot and one passenger. The one passenger did seek medical attention at fairbanks memorial hospital within 24 hours of the accident. The other two passengers claimed injuries at a later date.
Fuel exhaustion suspected as both fuel gauges described as reading empty by pilot and passengers with little or no fluctuation of fuel gauge needles when the engine quit.
This was in conflict with electronic totalizer indicating 22.8 gallons remaining. Fuel totalizer was set incorrectly with 82 gallons usable, aircraft only holds 79 gallons useable. This discrepancy however would not have resulted in fuel exhaustion.
Upon examination of fuel tanks it was discovered that at least eight fuel tank bladder rettention buttons (5 in left wing, 3 on the right) were not connected. This condition could have been caused by the accident, or post crash movement. If, however these retention buttons were not in place when the aircraft was fueled for this flight a false full fuel indication may have resulted.
On 01/16/2014 chena marina air service discovered 6 fuel bladder fuel snaps on one side and one on antoher had come unsnapped. They repaired the snaps prior to returning to the owner, who after these repairs, leased the aircraft to the yukon river tribal council. The aircraft was flown 72.3 hours between the repair time and time of the accident.
An estimated 8.8 to 11.7 gallons of fuel should have remained in the tanks which would have met the requirements to complete the planned flight. Unsecured bladder retention buttons could account for this fuel shortage.
As the FAA filed it
PTRS #201402030
NTSB #ANC 14 L A 034
WHILE CRUISING AT 1500' MSL THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH, LOSE POWER, AND SUBSEQUENTLY QUIT. PRIOR TO COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE ROUGHNESS WAS DESCRIBED AS THE ENGINE REVING UP AND DOWN, SPUTTERING, AND CUTTING IN AND OUT.
EMERGENCY LANDING WAS MADE ALONG A LAKE SHORE.
AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER ON LANDING AND WAS PARTIALLY SUBMERGED.
MINOR INJURIES INITIALLY REPORTED, INCLUDING THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER. THE ONE PASSENGER DID SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION AT FAIRBANKS MEMORIAL HOSPITAL WITHIN 24 HOURS OF THE ACCIDENT. THE OTHER TWO PASSENGERS CLAIMED INJURIES AT A LATER DATE.
FUEL EXHAUSTION SUSPECTED AS BOTH FUEL GAUGES DESCRIBED AS READING EMPTY BY PILOT AND PASSENGERS WITH LITTLE OR NO FLUCTUATION OF FUEL GAUGE NEEDLES WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT.
THIS WAS IN CONFLICT WITH ELECTRONIC TOTALIZER INDICATING 22.8 GALLONS REMAINING. FUEL TOTALIZER WAS SET INCORRECTLY WITH 82 GALLONS USABLE, AIRCRAFT ONLY HOLDS 79 GALLONS USEABLE. THIS DISCREPANCY HOWEVER WOULD NOT HAVE RESULTED IN FUEL EXHAUSTION.
UPON EXAMINATION OF FUEL TANKS IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT AT LEAST EIGHT FUEL TANK BLADDER RETTENTION BUTTONS (5 IN LEFT WING, 3 ON THE RIGHT) WERE NOT CONNECTED. THIS CONDITION COULD HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THE ACCIDENT, OR POST CRASH MOVEMENT. IF, HOWEVER THESE RETENTION BUTTONS WERE NOT IN PLACE WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS FUELED FOR THIS FLIGHT A FALSE FULL FUEL INDICATION MAY HAVE RESULTED.
ON 01/16/2014 CHENA MARINA AIR SERVICE DISCOVERED 6 FUEL BLADDER FUEL SNAPS ON ONE SIDE AND ONE ON ANTOHER HAD COME UNSNAPPED. THEY REPAIRED THE SNAPS PRIOR TO RETURNING TO THE OWNER, WHO AFTER THESE REPAIRS, LEASED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE YUKON RIVER TRIBAL COUNCIL. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLOWN 72.3 HOURS BETWEEN THE REPAIR TIME AND TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
AN ESTIMATED 8.8 TO 11.7 GALLONS OF FUEL SHOULD HAVE REMAINED IN THE TANKS WHICH WOULD HAVE MET THE REQUIREMENTS TO COMPLETE THE PLANNED FLIGHT. UNSECURED BLADDER RETENTION BUTTONS COULD ACCOUNT FOR THIS FUEL SHORTAGE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.